The three artists of the year

We are delighted to unveil the three artists who, in our opinion, most powerfully capture the essence of 2024—a year defined by complexity, ambiguity, and profound transformation. Few moments in recent history have felt as unsettled, deconstructed, and fraught with tension as this one.

While their artworks commanded attention and achieved remarkable commercial success this year, what truly distinguishes these artists is their ability to reflect the spirit of our time. Their aesthetics resonate with the instability and rapid evolution of the world around us—decentralized and fragmented, yet deeply introspective. Their creations probe the roots of human identity, grappling with the challenging realities of navigating the unknown and embracing the abstract.

Through abstract compositions and intricately layered elements, their work serves as a meditation on identity, memory, and space. With each piece, they invite us to confront the shifting landscapes of our inner and outer worlds, offering a poignant reminder of art’s capacity to illuminate even the most complex of eras.

You’ve seen these works—they were highly sought after by collectors at the fair, so much so that at Art Basel Paris, each piece was sold. Libasse Ka’s art continues to captivate us, as it constantly builds upon itself, layering new dimensions and blurring our perception. By working with the rich depth of oil paint, Ka immerses the viewer in a way reminiscent of the Dutch masters, using shapes and codes that emerge from diverse cultural influences.

Ka is currently developing paintings through a distinctive printing technique involving large pieces of plastic. The process begins with painting on the plastic and transferring the imprint to canvas, creating textured traces that accumulate and evolve. This method signals a conscious departure from traditional drawing tools, embracing innovative approaches and material exploration.

In 2025, the Museum Dhondt-Dhaenens (MDD) in Belgium will host Ka’s first solo institutional exhibition, a milestone that promises to further showcase the depth and originality of his work.

What can be said about the magnificent Laura Lamiel, if not that her art, rooted in forms, sensations, and objects from past moments, is nothing less than a grand Annunciation of what is to come—an age of matter and object.

Memory and trace are the language of Laura Lamiel, where the interplay of imbalances and the inherent tension of her works takes center stage. She pushes beyond the surface, sometimes even piercing one piece with another, creating layers that transcend the physical.

Her work embodies an abstraction of attention, where reflection, scratch, disappearance, and the smallest detail challenge a greater sense of balance.
It is no coincidence that Laura Lamiel is also working on a sensitive herbarium project, where flowers intertwine like bodies, adding another layer of intimacy to her exploration of form.

This overflowing sensuality is undoubtedly what drives her piece Untitled, which we have chosen. It is both a condensed form of painting within a frame, a passage of time and captured test, and a door that opens. Do you hear it now? The painting that whispers or screams? Perhaps even that, we can no longer quite say.

Speaking of voices, perhaps the last thing that has brought forth works of this new abstraction this year are the incantations of their artists. This is certainly true for Minh Lan Tran.

We had already hosted a talk with the artist last spring, during which she spoke about the new intensity of yellow that had emerged in her work, a color she was using for the first time for her exhibition at the Parliament Gallery.

Each of her pieces serves as a vessel, preserving the trace of the artist’s passage. The canvas becomes a true alchemical field, where matter and thought, intention and action, collide and transform.

When looking directly into these works, we ultimately grasp very little. One must feel, almost press against the surface, and allow oneself to be enveloped by the physical impulses that meet us.

Like the turbulent moment we are living through, Minh Lan Tran’s works demand engagement, a form of enlightenment through the body. In this sense, they represent a political abstraction, deeply attuned to the present moment in which they exist.

As the year ends, we’re seeing signs of a spiritual revival. Artists and collectors are turning back to esotericism, exploring it with fresh perspectives and a sense of reconciliation. This renewed interest reflects a desire to delve into the mystical and intangible while bridging gaps—between past and present, visible and invisible, logic and spirituality. At its heart, this movement is about seeking meaning, connection, and a deeper understanding of ourselves and the world.